Louis Clark led Syracuse with six goals one year ago, but he was still looking for his first goal of the 2012 season heading into Saturday night’s showdown against South Florida.

That changed in the 16th minute of the Big East matchup when Clark took a pass from Stefanos Stamoulacatos and beat Bulls goalkeeper Dallas Jaye. The strike proved to be the difference in Syracuse’s (10-4, 3-2 Big East) 1-0 victory over USF (7-3-4, 1-1-3) at Corbett Soccer Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Syracuse picked up its first Big East road win since 2009 and inched one step closer toward a birth in the conference tournament.

“It was a relief for him to get that goal and the guys were delighted,” SU head coach Ian McIntyre said in a phone interview. “They don’t get much bigger than the one tonight.”

Clark’s goal gave SU some separation, and the Orange defense preserved the shutout.

McIntyre said Chris Makowski and the entire defensive unit stepped up in front of goalkeeper Alex Bono. The group held USF to four shots on goal and responded to a late surge by the Bulls.

“To get a shutout in the Big East is tremendous,” McIntyre said. “I thought the team defended individually and collectively.”

McIntyre called the win one of the Orange’s biggest on the season thus far, and he said the result gives his team confidence and motivation going forward.

USF has been a perennial powerhouse in the conference and made the elite eight in the NCAA tournament last year. The Orange hadn’t knocked off a South Florida squad since 2007, as past teams struggled to match the Bulls’ quick pace.

This year’s team made sure the result was different.

“It was a really big night for our team and for our program,” McIntyre said. “USF’s been one of the dominant teams in the Big East the last couple of years. To defeat them down here was a terrific performance from our guys.”

The win wouldn’t have been possible without Clark, who emerged at a critical juncture to clinch the SU win. Clark was aggressive throughout the game, attempting three shots on goal.

Though he hadn’t scored, Clark had been a key part of Syracuse’s turnaround this year. He has attempted 26 shots on the year, including 14 on goal.

Despite the scoring drought in the first 13 games, Clark remained positive and focused. His effort was finally rewarded against USF.

“It’s great for him and his confidence, and hopefully there’s a couple more in there for the remainder of the year,” McIntyre said. “It was a very important goal from an important player for us.”

Clark and the Orange will head to Villanova to face the Wildcats on Wednesday afternoon. McIntyre said his team will build off this win as it continues to make its postseason push.

“We set the bar really high,” McIntyre said. “Now the guys are hungry for more. We’re trying to secure enough points to make the playoffs and move forward.”

Published on October 14, 2012 at 12:17 am

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass